Sayonara, Santa.

I am so proud of myself... I finally took the last of the Christmas decorations upstairs. Yes, really, Christmas. As soon as I took everything upstairs, I spotted yet another Santa on a shelf in the dining room.  Sayonara, Santa. I bet there's a snowman around here somewhere, but I will find him. Hopefully before August.

I actually took the WHOLE  WEEKEND OFF for the first time since...  probably since we went on vacation to the Black Hills last July. Well, I was kinda forced to take the weekend off. I had a baby shower out of town to attend on Saturday, and a birthday party to host here on Sunday afternoon. But I'm so glad I did! I've been burning the candle at both ends for months on end with project after project, most of them not projects I really wanted to be doing. I was due for a recharge! I got flowers planted, my kitchen is the cleanest it's been in weeks--even the freezer is cleaned out.  I played catch with Treva. We put the tent up in the backyard just for fun. I held my chickens. I held the kittens. I read. I think I even might have even gotten bored for just a millisecond.

It made me realize that I haven't really had much ME time for the past couple years. I have one more big project to finish up--getting my house ready to sell to put on the market--then it's back to spending as much time as I can at home annoying my loves, and working on all the projects I WANT to do, like getting my "Creative Cabin" built and (eek!) organized. I am bound and determined to have an organized, relaxing, funky junked, fun place to do my creating.  So if any of you have ideas for creative, organized workspaces, please share!  Anyone who knows me knows that I need help in the "organized" department. What's the saying?  "I'm creative. I can't be expected to be organized too."  Help!

Etsy Celebrates 10 Years... What have I been waiting for? #thankyouetsy

My Etsy shop has completely changed my life! Instead of working harder, I'm working smarter, spending more time with my family, and less time pulling overnighters to meet clients deadlines. When I re-opened my long forgotten Etsy shop almost a year and a half ago, I was hoping to make a little extra money, in addition to my full-time creative sign and screen printing business, to offset my ever increasing health insurance premiums. Since becoming self-employed 8 years ago, I'd always managed to eek out a living with my business, but I could never seem to save up for that famous "Dave Ramsey Emergency Fund." (Love that guy!) I just kept taking on more clients and working more hours. 

In 2015, while building my Etsy shop in my "spare time" (what's that?), I worked more hours at my first business than I ever had before, staying up super late several nights a week, and working Saturdays and Sundays just to stay caught up. When I realized last summer that all of the money I was banking was coming from my Etsy shop, and not from all the extra hours, I stopped to take another look at my numbers. I was working myself to death, and if it hadn't been for Etsy, I still wouldn't have been able to save much, let alone take the first real vacation I'd had in years, or finally buy a "new to me" vehicle.

Therefore, I took most of December and January off from my "other business" and worked out a new business and life plan! I have some work to do to get from Point A to Point B, but I know my goals are achievable. I'm selling the storefront for the other business, selling a rental property I'm tired of dealing with, and within a few months, I plan on having my little "Creative Cabin" just outside my back door, right here on our acreage. (OMG, I can't wait!) More importantly, I don't want to miss another minute with my daughter, Treva, or my wonderful boyfriend Jon, because I have to finish up a rush order for someone. I don't want my daughter to have to deal with me being grumpy and stressed out because I'm trying to keep track of 30 different clients' deadlines and event dates. I don't want my kitties and chickens to forget who I am either! So THANK YOU, Etsy to giving me a wonderful tool to sell my goods on-line, streamline my business, simplify my life, oh, and finally earn that income I needed to save up that nice cushy "Emergency Fund." Happy 10th birthday, Etsy. Just wish I would have realized how great you are years ago!

Weather Woes ~ When nothing goes right, go left

I was a little bummed earlier this week when I saw the weekend forecast. Rain, and lots of it, on Saturday.  The girls and I were supposed to load up the Suzy Swede Creative goodies and do a 2-day show at Junkin' on the Hills in Nebraska City today and Sunday. The show is still going on and there should be tons of great junk vendors, whose already-rusty finds won't be hurt by the rain and humidity, so don't let the rain stop ya'll from shopping! However, I take a heat press and screen printed transfers with me to these shows to print shirts on-site, and the rain and humidity would just destroy them. My goal is to have an enclosed trailer or a funky camper by next year, so I won't have to worry about the weather so much in the future.  Jon and I were working on restoring a 1964 Forrester camper, but found that the frame and axles would have been dangerous, so we're on to Plan B with Project Camper. Save up for a new "retro" reissue.

Now for Plan B for the weekend. Move over Nicole Curtis! I'm heading up to Lincoln to do some more work on my rental house, which will hopefully, soon, be my former rental house. It's a seller's market in Lincoln for the first time in years, so here's my chance!  I already fixed this house up once, back in 2004-2005. Then, I moved to Weeping Water just as the big national housing market crashed. Yay me! I had a choice to either become a landlord or join the thousands of Americans going into foreclosure. That was a no-brainer, but I hate being a landlord. My personality is just not conducive to it. After renting it out for almost 11 years, it needs some major cosmetic work and just a little fixer-upper work. Thank God I have a super handy guy to help out. However, today I will be taping, painting, scraping, sanding, and Lord knows else.  I'm going to Rehab Addict the crap out of this place. Well, I hope there's no crap, besides the mouse variety I already found. It was cute & cozy once and it will be again!  If you know of anyone in the market for a house in Lincoln, near both campuses, stay tuned.

Peace ~ Love ~ Junk

Check out this gorgeous Peace, Love, Junk necklace!  I met this sweet gal on Etsy. She bought a couple of my shirts, give me some good feedback on a design, and sent me this fabulous necklace!  Get yours on Etsy at Thread Needle and Brush. (See the link below)  Junkin' season is full upon us!  


 https://www.etsy.com/shop/threadneedleandbrush 

Thank you!! All of you Crazy Chicken Ladies, Happy Campers, Take a Hikers, Junkin' Ladies... all of my wonderful customers!

When I started my Etsy shop 16 months ago, I was just hoping to make a little extra money in addition to my full-time creative sign and screen printing business.  I had a few t-shirt designs that I'd made up for myself or for friends, just for fun, and thought "Huh, wonder if anyone else would buy these?"

Wowza!!  Would you believe 2,366 orders, over 4,800 shirts and tanks, sent to 10 countries and all 50 states?  Thank you, each and every one of you. Thank you too, for all of the great reviews! This silly little business has saved my sanity in more ways than one. Probably my life, too. I'm pretty sure I was on a fast track to an early heart attack trying to keep up with my other business, which has now become part-time and a lot less stress.  I heart Etsy, and I heart all of you!